This species was collected by Beccari in Air Mancur the former residency in Padang. Further collections have been made at Rimbo Pengadang and Gunung Singalang.

The Plants Description

This species achieves a height of 30-40cm. The rhizomes are creeping but short. The pseudobulbs are shaped cylindrical, terete and measure 5.5cm long and 0.5-0.7cm in diameter. The leaves are petiolate; the petiole measures 3cm long. The leaf blades are shaped linear-lanceolate and have acute apices. The leaf blades measure 18-25cm long and 1.0-1.8cm wide.

The Inflorescence

The inflorescence is synanthous and grows with the leaf but before the pseudobulb develops. The rachis is nodding.

The Flowers

The flowers are small. The sepals are shaped lanceolate and have acuminate apices. The sepals measure 4.5mm long. The lateral sepals are oblique. The petals are shaped oblique and have acuminate apices. The petals are smaller than the sepals. The labellum is entire, shaped narrowly lanceolate and has an acute apex. The labellum is narrower above its middle section. The labellum measures 3.8mm long and 1mm wide. There are two keels that run ¾ of the length of the labellum. The column measures 2mm long; its apical hood has a four dentate margin. The stelidia grow from the middle of the column and either reach or just exceed the apical hood. The stelidia are shaped lanceolate, falcate.

Jim Comber wrote that the flowers are similar to Dendrochilum simile. Schlechter compared this species to Dendrochilum simile however this species differs by its smaller flowers, quadentate apical hood and entire stelidia. Dendrochilum simile has a bilobed apical hood and a tooth on each stelidia.

Reference –

COMBER, J.B. Orchids of Sumatra, 2001, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew

SCHLECHTER, R. 1911, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 9: 217-266

World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 24 November 2008. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.kew.org/wcsp/ accessed 24 November 2008.